1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates generally to the field of material handling control systems and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an apparatus for controlling the operation of a length determining machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, prior art length determining machines have been controlled substantially manually, with the simplest being controlled entirely manually, and the more complex being usually controlled via a combination of manual controls and simple servo-control devices. Due to the relatively simple nature of the control apparatus for these machines, the operation of the machines usually required constant monitoring and manual staging through each phase of operator. Since this monitoring and staging were most often performed by human operators, these systems presented numerous opportunities for errors of judgment, timing and manipulation, often resulting in damage and injury. In addition, the performance of such systems were highly dependent upon the speed with which the operator was able to cycle the machine through the individual phases of operation.